Third annual physical activity initiative gets Sheffield moving more

The Move More initiative which saw Sheffield people record more than eight million minutes of activity during June last year is returning to the city on Friday (Jun 1) for a third time next week – and is set to be ‘bigger and better’. Once again schools and businesses will be taking part.

A physical activity programme which aims to make Sheffield the UK’s most active city by 2020, Move More saw more than 10,000 people get involved with activities and initiatives across the city last year.

As the name suggests, Move More is all about getting people moving, while also enabling them to record their physical activity. This can be done through the ‘Move More Sheffield’ app, which can be downloaded on all smartphones.

Professor Robert Copeland, director for the NCSEM and Move More, said: “We’re inviting the whole city to join in.

“We know that if physical activity isn’t fun, easy to do and social, then people just won’t engage. So, for Move More Month we’ve created physical activity challenges such as walking and cycling, plus specific challenges in social housing, care homes, schools and workplaces across the city.

“People can take part as an individual or part of a group and will be able to track progress including personal and city-wide activity minutes using the Move More app.”

Eight people getting ready to jog in the park on a beautiful day

A contemporary take on a nostalgic playground game will launch it – with 12 (and counting) hopscotch courts set to be installed at various locations around Sheffield, starting at the Peace Gardens in the city centre, where a Move More hopscotch court will be officially unveiled at a launch event on 31 May.

Other locations where hopscotch courts will be installed include Millennium Square, The Moor Market, the Moorfoot Building, Graves Health and Sports Centre, Thorncliffe Leisure Centre, Ecclesall Woods, the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, Sheffield Children’s Hospital, the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University, with more set to be confirmed ahead of the programme’s launch.

This year, Move More is aiming to encourage 50,000 people across Sheffield who are currently inactive to engage in physical activity. It is part of a five-year whole systems plan to make it easier for everyone living in Sheffield to be physically active as part of everyday life.

A big part of the initiative is the Move More Workplace Challenge, which in 2017 saw 100 workplaces, 420 teams and 2,500 participants battle it out to be crowned Sheffield’s most active business.

Move More participants can download the programme’s smartphone app, enter their email address and then join their workplace team to compete against other organisations, as well as take on their colleagues to see who is the business’s most active employee.

The Move More Schools Challenge, meanwhile, is supporting schools to increase pupil physical activity, which includes the Move More Playground Challenge. The Playground Challenge invites pupils to explore their playground to find Move More Plaques, which highlight different exercises they can do in one minute.

Countless other activities aimed at boosting physical activity levels have been organised – including Park Fun, which is organised by Kings Foundation as part of its 25th anniversary celebrations and will see a series of three free family-run sessions held in Endcliffe Park (11am – 2pm) on June 2, 23 and 30 respectively.

Kings Foundation has also teamed up with British Cycling to support a ‘Let’s Ride’ pop-up event in Concord Park on 9 June, 10am – 12 noon.

Dr Ollie Hart, a GP at Sloan Medical Centre, in Heeley, and a key figure behind the project, said: “Last year’s Move More Month was such a great success. Thousands of people got involved and it was a really positive way to show the city how we can work as a team and support each other in becoming more physically active for the benefit of our health and wellbeing.

“As a GP, the longer I spend seeing people in ill health, the more convinced I am of the importance of an active lifestyle which is why I am thrilled to be a part of the Move More initiative for the third year running.

“We hope that people of all ages and abilities will get involved this year too. As a GP I know that being physically active is probably one of the most important things you can do, so Move More Month is our opportunity to have a real focus on its importance and most importantly have fun with it.”

The challenge is a web-based team activity competition for organisations and their employees. It uses the Move more app, pedometers and other devices such as FitBits to monitor movement.